FROM THE PUBLISHER
Welcome to the first edition of Pickleball Magazine – the first-ever magazine dedicated solely to our favorite pastime! As a publisher of several other magazines, I am often contacted by friends suggesting new start-up publications. This past July, several friends recommended I launch a publication for pickleball. I already knew of the game because I played it the past couple of Thanksgivings while visiting my family in The Villages in Florida.
An avid tennis and platform tennis player, I was intrigued and decided to investigate further. After doing some preliminary research online, I picked up the phone and called Justin Maloof, the Executive Director of the USAPA. Justin enthusiastically educated me on a few key facts that got me thinking. First, with 2.5 million players, pickleball is recognized as the fastest growing sport in the U. S. Second, the USAPA grew from 4,071 to 10,000 + members over the past three years. And finally, the places to play went from 1,400 in 2013 to 3,777 at the time of our conversation.
Justin and I began brainstorming how a full-color magazine could benefit the sport and the members of the USAPA. We agreed that a magazine would ideally be offered free to all USAPA members and it should feature: instructional content, rule changes and relevant news, tournament results, player profiles, places to play, get‐away destinations, major pickleball manufacturers / businesses, and more.
Justin and I put together a contract, USAPA Board Member / Legal Counsel Phil Mortenson appended it, and the USAPA Board accepted it. In general, Pickleball Magazine will be distributed to all 10,000 + USAPA members, via email link, on a bimonthly basis( 6 times per year) and, in return, the USAPA agreed to recognize us as the“ Official Magazine” of the sport. USAPA members wanting to receive the printed magazine mailed to their homes can do so for $ 12 per year … 40 % off the non-member price of $ 20.
Although we will have thousands of paying mailed subscribers, our magazine will still be funded 95 %+ through the advertising revenue from the manufacturers and businesses you will find in this issue. If you’ re considering anything pickleball, please consider them first. The magazine’ s quality will be linked to our sponsors’ success.
My email address and cell phone numbers are listed below. Please feel free to use them if you have ideas on how to make the magazine better, or how to grow the sport. Finally, to receive a hard copy of each magazine, you can subscribe by emailing me or by visiting www. ThePickleballMag. com.
Wishing you a joyful 2016!
A Publication of Dollard Publishing Co., Inc. 11 Mayview Road, Canonsburg, PA 15317 www. thepickleballmag. com
PUBLISHER
Wayne Dollard wayne @ thepickleballmag. com 412.833.8805
DESIGN Michael Miller
ADVISORY BOARD Kevin Curley Dennis Dacey A. J. Fraties Irene Fraties Alex Hamner Rusty Howes Lynn Laymon
Linda Laymon Jennifer Lucore Bob Nibarger Steve Paranto Paul Porch Brian Staub
INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF Sarah Ansboury Christine Barksdale Prem Carnot Rob Elliott Mark Friedenberg Jim Hackenberg
Yvonne Hackenberg Steve Paranto Paul Porch Tony Tollenar Steve Wong
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS
Mark Berton Anne Breghero Jen Brozak Prem Carnot Kevin Curley Dennis Dacey Steven Douglas Robert Elliott AJ Fraties Irene Fraties Randy Futty Alex Hamner Brian Hendrickson
Celeste Horpel Rusty Howes Tony Horpel Linda Laymon Lynn Laymon Jennifer Lucore Justin Maloof Melissa McCurley Steve Paranto Paul Porch Kevin Richards Chris Thomas Barbara Wintroub
Dollard Publishing Co., Inc. publishes six issues of Pickleball Magazine per year. Subscriptions are $ 20 per year. To subscribe to www. thepickleballmag. com.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IS PROHIBITED. © 2016
Please recycle this magazine when you are through enjoying it.
Wayne Dollard, Publisher
Dollard Publishing Company, Inc., 11 Mayview Road, Canonsburg, PA 15317 412.833.8805( cell) | Wayne @ ThePickleballMag. com | www. ThePickleballMag. com
4 TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 724.942.0940 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG. COM